J.H. Haslam
Rev. Jonathan Henry "Harry" Haslam (13 July 1874 - 19 October 1969) was a New Zealand poet, editor, and historian who worked as a Methodist minister. Life Haslam was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, the son of Charles Haslam, an old Nelsonian. Early in his life, the family moved to Wellington, where his father found work as a supervisor in the Hannah & Company’s boot factory.Colonist, 15 December 1914 J.H. Haslam was educated at Mount Cook Boys’ School and later Newtown School before beginning his training into the Wesleyan Church ministry. He moved to Auckland to continue his training for the ministry and attended Auckland University College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1900.Auckland Star, 16 April 1900 Haslam served out his probationary years in Wellington until stationed to Christchurch. He married Florence Elizabeth Hurlstone in 1904, and had 2 children: Eric Haslam and Gladys (Haslam) Hayman. J.H. Haslam worked as a Methodist Church minister stationed in many areas of New Zealand (including Christchurch, Temuka, Whanganui, Canterbury, Bunnythorpe (1913–17), Palmerston North, Invercargill, Waimate (1926-1929), Nelson, Auckland, Hamilton, Otago and Wellington) rising to distinction in the Methodist Church as Secretary and later President of Conference. Haslam was also a Methodist marriage celebrant. As a young man, Haslam played cricket for the Wesley Cricket Club in Wellington.The Evening Post, 27 September 1895 He enjoyed other sports such as tennis, and continued to play at cricket matches organised by delegates to Methodist conferences. One of these matches between a Wednesday Association and a Clergyman’s Eleven was played at the Basin Reserve.The Evening Post, 15 February 1913 He was also a member of the Savage Club and the Masonic Lodge and played music. His obituary notes that: ‘He was for many years a member of the St Paul’s Choir and entertained at concerts with violin solos.’''Waimate Daily Advertiser'', 20 October 1969 He could play the piano in his later years for hymn singing. Haslam retired to Waimate in 1940 where he lived out the remaining years of his long life. His wife Florence died in 1958. Towards the end of his life, he lost his eyesight and "it was his deep regret that he became divorced from his books". Haslam died at Waimate on 19 October 1969. He was 95 years old. Writing Haslam wrote verse from a young age. He became a member of the Wesleyan Literary and Debating Society in the early-mid 1890s, did acting for them, and edited their journal, which also printed some of his early poems.The Evening Post, 10 May 1895 In 1903, his poem "A Bike Race" appeared in the Canterbury College Review while he was living there.Scenes in Southland (London: The Epworth Press, 1926) A book of his poetry, Scenes in Southland, appeared in London published by The Epworth Press in 1926. (This volume collects much of his poetry dating back to the 1890s.) He is chiefly a sonneteer working over spiritual themes and the universal subjects of love and death. Other topics include war and literature, and his book contains a section of lighter verse possibly written in his younger years. Some poems certainly date back to his student years in Auckland. Several sonnets relate to the death of a close friend before 1926. His other publications include contributing Westland Methodist Church history material by the Rev. G.S. Harper (1840-1911) to the Wesley Church History Society as well as editing Harper’s Gold Diggings and the Gospel: The Westland diary of the Rev. G.S. Harper, 1865-66. Recognition Haslam's edition of Rev. G.S. Harper’s gold-digging diaries in Westland, New Zealand (republished in 2004), is a New Zealand Heritage Text. The British Library has made available Haslam's sole collection, Scenes in Southland, as a download on Apple iTunes. In 2012, New Zealand poet, critic and editor, Mark Pirie, wrote on Haslam’s cricket sonnet ‘Ambition’ (which discusses Sir Jack Hobbs) for the Tingling Catch weblog. Publications Poetry *''Scenes in Southland''. London: Epworth Press, 1926. Edited *''Gold Diggings and the Gospel: The Westland diary of the Rev. G. S. Harper, 1865-1866.'' Auckland: Wesley Historical Society of New Zealand proceedings 20:3, 1964. **facsimile edition, Christchurch, NZ: Kiwi Publishers, 2004. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Jonathan H. Haslam, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 21, 2014. See also *List of New Zealand poets References External links ;Poems *"Ambition (Haslam’s 1926 cricket sonnet on Jack Hobbs) ;Audio / video *''Scenes in Southland'' at Apple iTunes ;Books https://www.amazon.com/Scenes-Southland-Poems-J-Haslam/dp/B003OYK3HO/ref=sr_1_1 Scenes in Southland] at Amazon.com Category:1874 births Category:1969 deaths Category:People from Christchurch Category:New Zealand poets Category:New Zealand clergy Category:University of Auckland alumni Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Sonneteers